Stalk and Burn
by jade254
Summary: Castle and Kate's partnership is strained when Castle overhears something he shouldn't. Kate is trying to deal with Castles sudden change in behavior whilst finding out she has a stalker who's obsession starts to turn deadly. Set around season 4 so some references to episodes. Will contain some violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Well this is my first Castle fanfic so please please be nice. The first couple of chapters will have references to season 3 ep24 knockdown, season 4 episode 1 rise, episode 9 killshot and episode 19 47 seconds mainly regarding the "confession" There will be some differences of course but for anyone who hasn't seen these episodes it may be slightly spoilerish. I am also writing in Kate's therapist who she saw but he will be ooc as i'm writing him as I want for the fic. **

**Disclaimer I don't own Castle this fic is just written entirely for fun.**

**Chapter One**

"I can't believe he would do this!" Detective Kate Beckett screeched as she paced wildly across the dimly lit office.

NYPD psychiatrist Doctor Carter Burke sat calm and collected on the leather couch. He watched as his patient continued with her sudden outburst, but when she showed no signs of stopping he felt he needed to step in, if only to prevent her from bursting a blood vessel. "Kate! Why don't you sit down and tell me all about it," he suggested without trying to raise his voice.

_Did he just talk to me as if I was a child? _Kate took a deep breath and took a seat opposite her therapist.

Kate had been seeing Carter for seven months now, ever since she had been shot. The sessions had only been mandatory for three months until she passed her pysch evaluation, but she felt she needed more time. Over the months she had built a strong trusting relationship. Carter had been someone she could talk to when there had been no one else, and she also had that added reassurance that anything they discussed would never leave the room.

_Yes there is something bothering me. _"It's castle!" She finally blurted out angrily. "He is such a self centered, conceited, infuriating human being."

Whilst discussing with Carter about her life history including her mothers murder and shooting, she had also talked extensively about Castle and the effect he had had on her life. She had started at the beginning, quickly describing the events surrounding how they had first become acquainted, and how at first he had annoyed the hell out of her with his total disregard for orders. Of course then there had been his childish behavior and his lavish socialite lifestyle.

Last but not least though was how he had convinced the police department that he would be required to follow her around in the name of research for the character in his next book Nikki Heat. In the middle of all that she did find the time to talk about certain cases they'd worked on, the situations they had gotten themselves into, and of course the confession he had made to her on that cold cemetery ground.

She hadn't expected that at all, but then again she hadn't expected to have to deal with it, because in that moment lying there with a bullet in her chest she hadn't expected to survive. When she had come around in that hospital bed she couldn't believe she was alive, that she had survived. It was only in the days that followed she slowly was able to recall the events, and that is when it hit her, she had remembered those last words Castle had said to her, and she knew right there and then he could never know.

Kate finally relaxed, her breathing and heart rate slowing to normal rhythm. "Something's wrong with him...with us..you know our partnership."

Carter looked a little confused. "What do you mean Kate?"

"Well everything was fine up until two days ago. He was helping me with a case, and then just like that..." she gestured by clicking her fingers together. "He totally changed."

"How so?" Carter pressed her.

"He was cold and distant. Then this morning he turns up to a crime scene in a Ferrari with some blond bimbo."

Carter tried to hide his disapproving look. "And how did you feel about that?"

"Well obviously it was all very embarrassing. It was like he had totally regressed to his immature, playboy ways, and I don't know why. I mean what did I do?"

The doctor clasped his hands together. "You're quite sure you haven't said anything to cause him to act this way?"

_Just what is he getting at?_ Kate shook her head. "No absolutely nothing."

"So what exactly did you do two days ago?" Carter then asked. "Perhaps going through those days events will jog your memory."

Kate stood up and started to pace around the office. "We were investigating a bombing at a protest rally in Boylan plaza. Castle was offering his assistance as usual. We'd spent much of the day collecting evidence, reconstructing events leading to the explosion, and talking to witnesses."

"Anything else?" Carter prompted.

Captain Gates had asked Castle to speed read some hundred witness statements, so Detective Ryan and I followed up on a lead. We arrested a possible suspect and I interrogated him back at the precinct." Suddenly Kate stopped leaning heavily on the back of the couch. "Oh god..."

"What is it Kate?"

"I was questioning the witness about the bombing, and he kept saying he couldn't remember anything, so I..I..."

Carter was intrigued, he needed to hear more. "Go on Kate."

Kate wasn't sure she wanted to go on. Even though Carter was well aware that she had remembered Castles confession, and the fact she had chosen not to tell him, somehow announcing that she had just spilled all to some kid who also happened to be a murder suspect didn't really seem a good idea right about now. Besides the more she thought about it the more she knew it wasn't possible. After all she had been alone in that room no-one could have heard, let alone Castle.

The silence that followed was eerie. Both Kate and the therapist didn't say a word. Carter was the first to speak "What did you say?"

"It doesn't matter." Kate was tired and she was pretty sure she had taken up enough of his time. "Maybe I should be going."

"Kate, if Castle heard something you didn't want him to, perhaps something to do with this secret you've been keeping from him. Maybe this could explain his sudden change in behavior."

Practically ignoring him she headed towards the door. "I'm not sure why Castle is acting this way, but he most definitely did not hear anything in that room."

Carter looked defeated. "Okay Kate I believe you. Maybe you'll be ready to talk again soon."

"Yeah," she muttered without looking back. Once outside she started to breathe heavily. _W__hat if he does know something? Esposito did say he came to the precinct. If he does know, then where does that leave us.__  
_

Once Kate had exited the room Carter reached for a file and scribbled some notes down. He envied her. With everything she had endured in her life she still came across as a strong, confident and quite a remarkable woman who really shouldn't be needing to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was indeed apparent that she was a truly complex woman and not without flaws. This Castle was obviously very much in love with her, but maybe he just didn't understand her like he did. There was one thing he did know, and that Kate obviously didn't realize how lucky she was to have him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I would also like to thank those that pointed out that it is indeed Kate and not castle who should think herself lucky hence why I changed the ending slightly just so it made a little more sense.**

**This chapter is Castle centric so we get to see how he is dealing with things. This plays out differently to the show as this is my take on how I think he could have been feeling.**

**Chapter 2**

It was unusually quite in his loft, and he was glad for it. His mother had chosen to stay away for a few days, and Alexis was off camping with a friend and her parents. It had probably been for the best that they were out of the way, as he hadn't exactly been the best company.

Richard Castle reached for a glass from the kitchen cupboard and poured himself a glass of his best scotch and sat himself down. His mind drifted back to just over a week ago, when inadvertently he had heard those words roll off Kate Beckett's tongue in that interrogation room. **"I was shot in the chest, and I remember every second of it." **In an instant the pang of hurt he felt in his heart was unbearable. _How could she go on all these months and not tell me. Why would she not tell me?_

He hadn't seen or spoken to her since, and for once he didn't actually care. There had a been a few occasions when he had almost dialled her number, but as soon as his finger touched the call button, he had quickly relented_. _He did of course miss seeing the guys Ryan and Esposito, but Kate, well how could he ever look at her the same way again. _How could she do this? _He had been so deep in his own thoughts he barely heard the door to his loft click open.

"Richard," came his mothers familiar high pitched voice from the doorway.

Castle quickly regained his composure and took a sip of his drink, just before his mother planted her luggage down in front of him. "Oh you're back already."

Once Martha laid her eyes on his pale rugged complexion, and his dishevelled appearance she looked quite concerned for her only son. He still looked as miserable as when she left, and he had also broken his promise to shave before she returned. "Richard Castle! How much longer are you going to wallow here in self pity?" She then reached for the glass he was holding and poured the remains down the sink. "Drowning your sorrows is not going to solve the problem either." She took a seat at the kitchen counter and grabbed his hand. "Now why aren't you out there helping to catch the bad guys?"

"I'm not going back there mother. I can't."

Martha couldn't help but feel an overwhelming love for her son, but at the same time she also knew he could wear his heart on his sleeve sometimes. "Can't or won't?"

"I'm done with all of it Mother."

Castle had told his mother the day after he had found out. She had accompanied him to Boylan plaza for a memorial service. He had needed to tell someone, and his mother had been the one he felt he could confide in. It seemed awfully strange as just that previous morning she had given him some good advice, and he had finally been ready to act on it. He had rehearsed his speech over and over, about what he was going to say to her. Everything had almost gone to plan, until once again due to bad timing he had never gotten the chance. He should have known that the precinct would have been the worst place to have a serious conversation. Now though none of that mattered, his heart had been shattered into a million pieces.

Martha smiled at him. "You're not going to give up just because Kate Beckett decided not to tell you that she heard the declaration of your love for her."

Castle clenched his fist tightly. "She lied to me mother. For the past seven months she has led me to believe she didn't remember, when all along she knew."

"Have you ever thought there may have been a reason that she didn't tell you." She had to believe that there was some justification. She could never think Kate would intentionally hurt him.

His mother was usually the voice of reasoning, but on this occasion he had to disagree with her. "Mother. When that sniper shot her, I thought that was it, that I had lost her and I was never going to see her again. That pain that I felt...well it was like I was the one who had just received a bullet to the chest..." A tear threatened to fall but he immediately wiped it away. "You know I would have changed places with her in a heartbeat."

"Richard," his mother said soothingly.

"No mother. She had to have understood how I felt. I mean did she not feel an ounce of guilt at all?"

"Maybe she just wasn't ready."

Richard stood up and poured himself another glass of scotch much to his mothers disapproval. "Oh but she was ready to confess all that to some stranger, but not to me. I really thought we had something you know. We've been through so much together. I just thought she could trust me enough to tell me the truth. I wanted her to trust me enough...but obviously I'm just not enough."

Martha just looked at him wordlessly.

"I have a book signing coming up, so I'll be in my office if you need me," Castle announced as he strutted to the other side of the room.

After a momentary silence she heard the slamming of the door, so she too grabbed herself a glass and poured herself a drink. _He'll be fine. He just needs some time._


	3. Chapter 3

**A special thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter and to those following this story. This chapter will be the last before Christmas, but hopefully I can start on the next chapter sometime next weekend. **

**Chapter 3**

It had been two long weeks week since she had seen Castle. She sort of felt a sense of relief she didn't have to face him, but seeing the empty chair beside her desk was a little disheartening.

"Hey Beckett. You heard from Castle lately?" Detective Javier Esposito asked her as he approached the desk.

Without looking up Kate shook her head. "Nope."

Esposito was a little worried about what had happened between the two of them. It had to have been something serious, as he knew Castle would never have been able to stay away this long. "Hey has something happened between the two of you I should know about?"

"Nope," she answered once again, her eyes still fully transfixed on the paperwork in front of her.

Esposito continued on with his line of questioning. "So why is not here?"

Kate shot him a look of contempt. He was about the fifth person to ask her about that in the last few days and she was quite tired of it now. "Look I'm not his babysitter. If you're so worried, why don't you go ask him!"

"Well maybe I will!" Esposito spat back angrily.

Detective Kevin Ryan rounded the corner to see his partner and Kate engaged in what looked like a heated conversation. He quickened his pace and patted Esposito's shoulder. "Hey man, maybe we should follow up on those leads on the McCarthy case."

Esposito turned to his partner whilst sighing. "Yeah okay bro."

As the two detectives strolled off they began whispering to each other. "What the hell is wrong with Beckett?" Esposito asked, hoping Ryan may have had an answer.

"I don't know man but Castle hasn't been here in a while, so whatever it is, it must be bad," his partner replied.

"Well if Beckett isn't ready to volunteer information then there is only there's only one thing left to do, and that is to ask Castle ourselves," Esposito suggested.

Ryan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and at least he's not wearing a gun."

Castle Castle Castle Castle Castle Castle Castle Castle Castle

Kate pulled on her jacket ready to head home. It had been a long day and Kate was tired. All she could think about was taking a long hot bath.

"Detective Beckett!"

Kate swung around to see Captain Victoria Gates leaning in the doorway of her office."

_Not now. _"Yes sir."

"Could I see you in my office?"

Kate reluctantly agreed, after all it wasn't like she had much choice, she was after all her boss. "Of course sir."

With Kate stood there in front of her, Captain Gates lowered her glasses. "Is there something you need to tell me Detective?"

Kate fell silent momentarily. "Um no."

Captain Gates frowned. "Really? So then explain to me why Mr Castle hasn't graced us with his presence in almost two weeks."

Kate hesitated. _Think__ Kate, think. _"He's just been really busy with his new book sir." It wasn't a total lie. He did say that he needed to finish writing his latest novel.

Gates didn't seem too convinced though. "Uh huh. Well if you say he needs to be focusing on his book, then who am I to argue. Although I was kind of getting used to him being around."

Kate thought she saw a hint of a smile on her boss' lips before she was dismissed. _I guess I do miss him being around too._ As she entered the elevator she pulled out her phone to check if there had been any missed calls. She sighed heavily when the call list came up empty. _Was I really expecting him to call? __  
_

As she strolled along the darkened hallway to her apartment she had thought about calling Esposito. She had been pretty harsh with him today, and it was totally unnecessary. He obviously was just concerned as to what was going on, after all Ryan and Esposito were like the brothers she never had. _I'll apologize. _She dialled the number but then quickly pressed the end call button._ I'll talk to both of them tomorrow. I'll tell them what's going on. Well not everything, just what they need to know._

As she approached her door she stopped dead in her tracks. There on the floor were a box of chocolates, a bottle of wine and a white envelope. Picking up the heart shaped box and envelope she nervously looked around for any sign of who had left the gifts, but the hallway was empty. _I didn't pass anyone on the way up so these must have been sitting here a while. _She was almost in two minds whether or not to go back downstairs and ask the doorman if he had seen anyone, but that bubble bath was really too enticing.

After entering her apartment she placed the gifts down on the kitchen counter before kicking off her shoes. She then proceeded to run her bath and pouring in the strawberry scented bubble bath. Whilst the water was running she opened up the envelope and pulled out a card. It was red with a cute bear to the front holding a heart. She looked inside but all that was written was "Missing you." The handwriting was rather scrawly as if it was written hastily, but strangely she didn't recognize it. Although she had already figured out there was only person it could possibly be. _Castle._


End file.
